Managing IT checklists during employee onboarding and offboarding have long relied on spreadsheets as the go-to tool. But as businesses go fully remote or hybrid, those outdated systems quickly become more of a liability than an asset. Inconsistent updates, missed steps, and human error can snowball into security issues, frustrated employees, and wasted time.
This is where automation specifically tailored for remote onboarding can make a difference. With the right tools, IT teams can streamline processes, boost accuracy, and scale operations without sacrificing sanity. Let’s have a look at how they can do that.
Why Remote Onboarding Deserves More Attention
Remote onboarding means more than just shipping a laptop and sharing a few logins via email. It’s a critical first impression for new hires and a high-stakes task for IT teams. New employees need the right IT equipment, security credentials, software access, and communication tools all without setting foot in the office.
Managing these tasks via spreadsheets means onboarding becomes a time-consuming tangle for emails, reminders, and follow-ups. Worse, small oversights (like installing an antivirus or forgetting to deactivate an account) can lead to major security gaps.
The Power of IT Automation Software
Using IT automation software, teams can create standardized onboarding and offboarding workflows that leave no room for guesswork. These systems can:
- Automatically assign tasks based on job roles or departments
- Trigger hardware shipments and software provisioning
- Revoke access and retrieve devices when an employee leaves
- Track the entire process with clear audit trails
When everything is centralized, IT teams are better positioned to manage more onboardings with fewer resources, while reducing the risk of error. Replacing manual spreadsheets with automation offers a greater visibility into who has what, where assets are, and what still needs to be completed.
Start with Smart Checklists
When it comes to remote onboarding, clarity is everything. New employees want to hit the ground running, and IT teams need processes that scale with growing headcounts. A messy spreadsheet shared between departments just won’t cut it anymore.
On the flip side, automated checklists ensure each step (from ordering IT hardware to provisioning VPN access) is done in the right order, every single time. Additionally, these systems can integrate seamlessly with HR platforms and ticketing tools, offering a better experience for everyone involved.
Offboarding is also benefiting from a major upgrade. When employees leave, automated workflows are useful to ensure no access is left open, no licenses are wasted, and no laptops go unaccounted for.
Ditch the Spreadsheet and Start Automating
The shift to hybrid and remote work has pushed IT teams to evolve. It’s no longer enough to “make do” with manual tools. If your team is still relying on spreadsheets for remote onboarding, it’s time to consider a smarter, scalable solution.
Ready to reclaim your time and boost your onboarding game? At Dots, we help IT teams move from manual chaos to streamlined efficiency with modern IT automation software designed for the remote world. Book a demo to see how we can help you transform your onboarding process, with no spreadsheets required.
